US20060287167A1 - Recumbent bike system and method - Google Patents
Recumbent bike system and method Download PDFInfo
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- US20060287167A1 US20060287167A1 US11/364,500 US36450006A US2006287167A1 US 20060287167 A1 US20060287167 A1 US 20060287167A1 US 36450006 A US36450006 A US 36450006A US 2006287167 A1 US2006287167 A1 US 2006287167A1
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- 210000002414 leg Anatomy 0.000 claims description 23
- 210000000629 knee joint Anatomy 0.000 claims description 19
- 210000000689 upper leg Anatomy 0.000 claims description 18
- 210000001624 hip Anatomy 0.000 claims description 15
- 210000003127 knee Anatomy 0.000 claims description 11
- 230000002526 effect on cardiovascular system Effects 0.000 abstract description 8
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 abstract description 6
- 230000003387 muscular Effects 0.000 abstract description 2
- 210000003205 muscle Anatomy 0.000 description 39
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 8
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 description 5
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 4
- 210000000544 articulatio talocruralis Anatomy 0.000 description 3
- 210000000748 cardiovascular system Anatomy 0.000 description 3
- 210000002683 foot Anatomy 0.000 description 3
- 241000282412 Homo Species 0.000 description 2
- 208000027418 Wounds and injury Diseases 0.000 description 2
- 230000006378 damage Effects 0.000 description 2
- 208000014674 injury Diseases 0.000 description 2
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 2
- 206010049565 Muscle fatigue Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 206010050031 Muscle strain Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 230000004308 accommodation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000001503 joint Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000003314 quadriceps muscle Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003252 repetitive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000284 resting effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003381 stabilizer Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012549 training Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B22/00—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements
- A63B22/06—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements with support elements performing a rotating cycling movement, i.e. a closed path movement
- A63B22/0605—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements with support elements performing a rotating cycling movement, i.e. a closed path movement performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B22/00—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements
- A63B22/06—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements with support elements performing a rotating cycling movement, i.e. a closed path movement
- A63B22/0605—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements with support elements performing a rotating cycling movement, i.e. a closed path movement performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
- A63B2022/0635—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements with support elements performing a rotating cycling movement, i.e. a closed path movement performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers specially adapted for a particular use
- A63B2022/0652—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements with support elements performing a rotating cycling movement, i.e. a closed path movement performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers specially adapted for a particular use for cycling in a recumbent position
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B2208/00—Characteristics or parameters related to the user or player
- A63B2208/02—Characteristics or parameters related to the user or player posture
- A63B2208/0242—Lying down
- A63B2208/0252—Lying down supine
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B2225/00—Miscellaneous features of sport apparatus, devices or equipment
- A63B2225/09—Adjustable dimensions
Definitions
- the present invention is directed generally to bikes and, more particularly, to recumbent bikes including recumbent exercise bikes.
- Bikes are useful for exercise and transportation purposes.
- both mobile and stationary bikes are frequently used for cardiovascular exercise since large muscle groups are used, which can put significant load on the cardiovascular system of an individual.
- a given amount of work that can be input into the bike mechanism by an individual will directly affect the amount of load that can be put on the cardiovascular system.
- FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a recumbent bike according to present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike of FIG. 1 with its seat in a first tilt position.
- FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike of FIG. 1 with its seat in a second tilt position.
- FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike of FIG. 1 with its seat in a forward rail position.
- FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike of FIG. 1 with its seat in a mid-rail position.
- FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike of FIG. 1 with its seat in a rear rail position.
- FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a schematic of a representative human showing various joints and links.
- FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a schematic of the representative human of FIG. 7 showing various muscle groups.
- FIG. 9 is a table of anthropomorphic data.
- FIG. 10 is a side elevational view a schematic of the recumbent bike of FIG. 1 with a portion of the representative human engaged therewith.
- FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a schematic of the recumbent bike of FIG. 1 with a portion of the representative human engaged therewith, showing forces being applied by relevant muscle groups.
- FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a schematic of the recumbent bike with a portion of the representative human engaged therewith showing a range of positions where use of the gluteus muscle group is favored.
- FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of a schematic of the recumbent bike with a portion of the representative human engaged therewith showing a range of positions where power input in reduced.
- FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of a schematic of the recumbent bike showing seat positioning detail.
- FIG. 15 is a table having seat positioning detail related to FIG. 14 .
- FIG. 16 is an isometric view of an alternative version of the recumbent bike of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike of FIG. 16 with its seat in a first tilt position.
- FIG. 18 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike of FIG. 16 with its seat in a second tilt position.
- a recumbant bike that has a larger portion of its crank cycle, compared with conventioral approaches, in which a relatively high level of power can be inputted. Consequently, potential exists for a user to experience a high cardiovascular load with less fatigue or other muscular difficulties. Improvements over conventional approaches are achieved, among other things, through enhanced seat positioning relative to the crank axis of the bike. Other advantages will become apparent in the following discussion.
- a recumbant bike 100 is shown in FIG. 1 as having a base portion 102 and a seat 104 .
- the base portion 102 includes pedals 105 mechanically coupled to a load mechanism (not shown) such as a generator, friction brake, flywheel fan, wheel contacting a weight bearing surface such as the ground or road, or other such load mechanism.
- the pedals 105 are rotatable about a crank axis 106 through crank or shafts 107 .
- the base portion 102 further includes support legs 108 for resting the bike 100 on a floor, a monitor 110 for supplying exercise status to a user (not shown), and a rail 112 for supporting the seat 104 .
- the seat has a seat bottom 114 and a seatback 116 .
- the seat 104 further includes a support portion 118 for mechanical engagement with the rail 112 such that the position of the seat along the rail 112 can be adjusted.
- the seat 104 has a tilt lever 120 to adjust a tilt angle 123 , shown in FIG. 2 , between the seat bottom 114 and the rail 112 by releasing a locking mechanism (not shown) to allow pivoting of the seat about a pivot 124 .
- the tilt angle 123 as shown in FIG. 3 is larger than the tilt angle shown in FIG. 2 .
- the support portion 118 of the seat 104 further includes a rail adjustment lever 127 , shown in FIG. 4 , to adjust and secure seat position along the rail 112 .
- a rail adjustment lever 127 shown in FIG. 4
- Examples of adjustment of the position of the seat 104 along the rail 112 are shown in FIGS. 4-6 in which the seat is in a forward rail position ( FIG. 4 ), a mid-rail position ( FIG. 5 ), and a rear rail position ( FIG. 6 ).
- the rail adjustment lever 127 is used to unlock the support portion 118 from fixed engagement with the rail 112 to allow sliding of the seat longitudinally along the rail.
- the rail adjustment lever 127 is then used to lock the support portion 118 in fixed engagement with the rail 112 once a desired longitudinal rail position of the seat has been achieved.
- a seat reference location 126 is shown and will be used below to describe enhanced positioning of the seat 104 relative to the crank axis 106 .
- the seat reference location 126 can be located where surface planes of the seat bottom 114 and the seatback 116 intersect.
- the seat 104 is shown as being hard (i.e. nondeforming).
- the seat 104 can be softer so that the seat bottom 114 and/or the seatback 116 may be deformed somewhat when occupied by a user.
- the location of the seat reference location 126 should be adjusted for these softer seat implementations to take into account particular deformity caused to the seat bottom 114 and/or the seatback 116 when occupied.
- the bike 100 rests on a floor 128 . In this depiction, a floor angle 129 exists between the rail 112 and the floor 128 .
- FIG. 7 A schematic depiction of a representative human 130 is shown in FIG. 7 illustrating various portions of the human involved with use of the bike 100 .
- the human 130 includes a hip joint 132 , a knee joint 134 , an ankle joint 136 , and a ball of the foot 138 .
- the human 130 further includes a back link 140 extending from the hip joint 132 , a thigh link 142 extending between the hip joint and the knee joint 134 , a lower leg link 144 extending between the knee joint and the ankle joint 136 , and a foot link 146 extending between the ankle joint and the ball of the foot 138 .
- Hip angle 147 , knee angle 148 and ankle—foot angle 150 can be used to describe position of the human 130 .
- FIG. 1 Further depictions include a first spacing 152 to approximate distance between the hip joint 132 as seated in the seat 104 and the seat bottom 114 .
- a second spacing 154 approximates distance between the hip joint 132 as seated in the seat 104 and the seatback 116 .
- the human 130 is shown schematically in FIG. 8 to include secondary muscle groups such as hip flexor muscles 156 and hamstring muscles 158 .
- the hip flexor muscles extend between the back link 140 and the thigh link 142 around a forward portion of the hip joint 132 .
- Hamstring muscles 158 extend between the thigh link 142 and the lower leg link 144 around a rearward portion of the knee joint 134 .
- Primary muscle groups shown include quadricep muscles 160 and gluteus muscles 162 .
- the quadricep muscles 160 extend between the thigh link 142 and the lower leg link 144 around a forward portion of the knee joint 134 .
- the gluteus muscles 162 extend between the back link 140 and the thigh link 142 around a rearward portion of the hip joint 132 .
- An anthropomorphic data table shown in FIG. 9 contains commonly known measurements relevant to the bike 100 and used in describing various portions of the male and female population.
- data is shown for 1% male, 50% male, 99% male, 1% female, 50% female, and 99% female, where 1% female is smallest and 99% male is largest.
- the nomenclature used for the anthropomorphic data is commonly known.
- the 1% female data means that all but 1% of the female population have measurements at least of that found in the anthropomorphic data table. Implementations of the bike 100 are directed toward use by a group including the 1% female and the 99% male and all those of size in between.
- the bike 100 incorporates the following understanding of how the human 130 interacts with the bike as depicted in schematic representations of the bike and the human shown in FIGS. 10-13 .
- the human 130 is seated in the bike 100 as shown in FIG. 10 to input power into the bike by pushing on the pedals 105 .
- a power stroke portion of the crank cycle in which a substantial portion of power from the human is inputted to the bike is between an initial power stroke leg position 170 and a final power stroke leg position 172 in which both positions are defined by reference line 174 extending from the hip joint 132 through both positions of the pedal 105 as rotation occurs in a clockwise direction 176 as viewed in FIG. 10 .
- the primary muscle groups used in pedaling are the quadricep muscles 160 for extending the knee joint 134 in the direction of arrow 178 in FIG. 11 and the gluteus muscles 162 for extending the hip joint 132 in the direction of arrow 180 .
- Both the quadricep muscles 160 and the gluteus muscles 162 provide a substantial amount of their contribution to power input during the power stroke portion of the crank cycle.
- Experienced riders are able to use other muscles as well to input additional amounts of power but to a smaller extent.
- hip angle 147 Another aspect of pedaling comfort and efficiency regards the hip angle 147 . It has been found that the gluteus muscles 162 can best be used to generate power to the bike 100 when the hip angle 147 is between 100° degree position 190 for leg position 184 and 120° degree position 188 for leg position 186 . This suggests that the gluteus muscles 162 would be better utilized if the hip angle 147 can be maintained between 100° and 120° during a substantial amount of the power stroke portion of the crank cycle (such as at least 75% or at least 85% of the power stroke portion of the crank cycle) as shown in FIG. 12 .
- this initial power stroke portion either power is inputted almost exclusively by the quadricep muscles 160 or momentum simply furthers the rotation.
- the intermediary power stroke leg position 192 is reached, both the quadricep muscles 160 and the gluteus muscles 162 are used through the remainder of the power stroke portion of the crank cycle.
- three factors described above can contribute to increase power input to the bike 100 and/or cardiovascular load on the human 130 while reducing fatigue, injuries or other physical problems compared with conventional approaches. These factors are providing the desirable range of values for the knee angle 148 of between 150° and 160° at the final power stroke leg position 172 , increasing that portion of the power stroke that the desirable range of values is maintained for the hip angle 147 between 100° and 120°, and decreasing the extent of the initial power stroke portion that solely the quadricep muscles 160 and/or momentum are used to continue rotation.
- An additional fourth factor is that it is more beneficial for the human 130 to push lower on the seatback 116 toward the position of the seat bottom 114 rather than high up on the seatback.
- reaction forces from pedaling are applied more directly into the seatback 116 . If forces are applied to high on the seatback 116 , the human 130 tends to be lifted out of the seat 104 , which results in less efficient application of power from the human to the bike 100 .
- the bike 100 addresses these four factors by providing a unique position for the seat 104 in relation with the crank axis 106 .
- this position for the seat 104 is described in terms of the positioning of seat reference location 126 with respect to the crank axis 106 .
- FIG. 14 shows further detail regarding how implementations of the bike 100 position the seat reference location 126 with respect to the crank axis 104 .
- the bike 100 is constructed to position the rail 112 such that an illustrative line 200 can extend from the crank axis 106 at an angle 202 with respect to the rail.
- an illustrative line 204 can extend from the reference point 126 of the seat 104 and parallel to the illustrative line 200 .
- an illustrative line 206 extends perpendicularly from the illustrative line 200 at the position of the crank axis 106 it perpendicularly intersects the illustrative line 204 .
- the distance along the illustrative line 204 between the reference point 126 and the illustrative line 206 defines the length of the illustrative line 204 .
- the distance between the illustrative line 200 and the illustrative line 204 along the illustrative line 206 defines the length of the illustrative line 206 .
- the length of the illustrative line 206 is between 4 inches and 6 inches for a particular range of lengths of the illustrative line 204 required to accommodate the human 130 in the 1% female to the 99% male group.
- Other implementations of the bike 100 may be targeted to other groups of the human 100 such that the length of the illustrative line 206 need only be maintained between 4 inches and 6 inches for a smaller range of lengths of the illustrative line 204 than the range of lengths for the illustrative line 204 required for the 1% female to 99% male group discussed above.
- FIG. 14 Other dimensions shown in FIG. 14 include an angle 208 between the seat bottom 114 and the illustrative line 204 A depicted implementation of the bike 100 allowed positioning of the seat 104 along the rail 112 to include accommodation for a 1% female, a 50% male, and a 99% male, as shown in FIG. 15 , to stay within the beneficial 4 to 6 inch range discussed above for the length of the illustrative line 206 while the angle 202 was at 3° and the angle 208 was at 5°.
- the length of the illustrative line 206 actually stayed within 0.5 inches of 5 inches for a length of the illustrative line 204 of 27.4 inches to 33.5 inches, which is some instances may offer an additional degree of benefit compared with the benefits conferred by staying within the broader range of 4 to 6 inches for the length of the illustrative line 206 .
- FIG. 14 Other dimensions shown in FIG. 14 include an illustrative line 210 extending from the hip joint 132 and parallel to the illustrative line 200 , an angle 212 between the illustrative line 200 and the floor 128 .
- the value of the angle 212 can be 0° so that the value of the angle 129 is equal to the value of the angle 202 .
- the angle 212 has a nonzero value.
- FIG. 14 Further dimensions illustrated in FIG. 14 include an angle 214 between the thigh link 142 when at the final power stroke leg position 172 and the illustrative line 210 , and an angle 216 between the seat back 116 and seat bottom 114 .
- the angle 214 had a value of approximately 173°, such as between 170° and 176°, which may contribute to some extent to the beneficial factors mentioned above.
- the angle 216 for some implementations of the bike 100 has a value of 113° and is considered to offer some contribution to maintaining for the hip angle 147 between 100° and 120° over a larger portion of the power stroke.
- the tilt angle 123 of the seat 104 can be adjusted; consequently, the angle 208 can change.
- Implementations of the seat 100 are constructed to allow for predetermined ranges of the angle 208 while still maintaining the value of the length of the illustrative line 206 within the 4 to 6 inch range over the required range of lengths of the illustrative line 204 for the ranges of sizes for a particular group of the humans 130 . It has been found that providing adjustment of the tilt angle 123 allows for adjustment of how much the quadricep muscles 160 are used compared with how much the gluteus muscles 162 are used to input power to the bike 100 . Adjustment of the tilt angle 123 can be done during exercise, for instance when one muscle group requires some relief compared with another muscle group.
- the tilt angle 123 can be significantly increased to accommodate those of large girth or for others who desire such positioning of the seat 104 since the bike 100 is constructed to still maintain the desired range of length for the illustrative line 206 .
- the tilt angle 123 can be adjusted from 0° to 20° in five degree increments.
- a reduction of approximately 25% was observed from approximately 60°, for a conventional approach, to 45° for the bike 100 .
- applying work over a longer portion of the pedal stroke reduces muscle forces needed to be produced.
- Less muscle strain can have beneficial consequences such as a decreased likelihood that the legs fatigue before the cardiovascular system has been fully exercised and a decreased likelihood of injuries due to repetitive motion stresses.
- the initial power stroke portion that solely the quadricep muscles 160 and/or momentum are used to continue rotation occurs from the beginning of the power stroke through a pedal angle which causes the hip angle 147 to begin increasing.
- FIGS. 16-18 An alternative version of the implementation of the recumbent bike 100 is shown in FIGS. 16-18 .
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Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention is directed generally to bikes and, more particularly, to recumbent bikes including recumbent exercise bikes.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Bikes are useful for exercise and transportation purposes. In particular, both mobile and stationary bikes are frequently used for cardiovascular exercise since large muscle groups are used, which can put significant load on the cardiovascular system of an individual. A given amount of work that can be input into the bike mechanism by an individual will directly affect the amount of load that can be put on the cardiovascular system.
- As is commonly known, to input work into a bike, force is applied to pedals to turn a crank. For a given power level to be input into a bike, in an ideal case, a steady force would be applied to the pedals throughout the entire 360° of the crank cycle so that the degree of force necessary at any time through the crank cycle could be kept to a minimum. Reduced required forces results in less muscle fatigue and greater levels of power that can potentially be inputted into a bike. Greater levels of power can potentially result in greater cardiovascular load that can be applied to potentially achieve more efficient cardiovascular training and higher levels of cardiovascular fitness.
- Unfortunately, conventional bikes have significant portions of their crank cycles in which power cannot be as effectively inputted into the bikes compared with other portions of their crank cycles. This uneven level of power input capacity found in the conventional crank cycles can result in higher levels of fatigue and/or reduced potential cardiovascular load. Thus, improvements to allow for a relatively high power input capacity over a larger portion of the crank cycle could be desirable.
-
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a recumbent bike according to present invention. -
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike ofFIG. 1 with its seat in a first tilt position. -
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike ofFIG. 1 with its seat in a second tilt position. -
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike ofFIG. 1 with its seat in a forward rail position. -
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike ofFIG. 1 with its seat in a mid-rail position. -
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike ofFIG. 1 with its seat in a rear rail position. -
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a schematic of a representative human showing various joints and links. -
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a schematic of the representative human ofFIG. 7 showing various muscle groups. -
FIG. 9 is a table of anthropomorphic data. -
FIG. 10 is a side elevational view a schematic of the recumbent bike ofFIG. 1 with a portion of the representative human engaged therewith. -
FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a schematic of the recumbent bike ofFIG. 1 with a portion of the representative human engaged therewith, showing forces being applied by relevant muscle groups. -
FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a schematic of the recumbent bike with a portion of the representative human engaged therewith showing a range of positions where use of the gluteus muscle group is favored. -
FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of a schematic of the recumbent bike with a portion of the representative human engaged therewith showing a range of positions where power input in reduced. -
FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of a schematic of the recumbent bike showing seat positioning detail. -
FIG. 15 is a table having seat positioning detail related toFIG. 14 . -
FIG. 16 is an isometric view of an alternative version of the recumbent bike ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike ofFIG. 16 with its seat in a first tilt position. -
FIG. 18 is a side elevational view of the recumbent bike ofFIG. 16 with its seat in a second tilt position. - As will be discussed in greater detail herein, a recumbant bike is disclosed that has a larger portion of its crank cycle, compared with conventioral approaches, in which a relatively high level of power can be inputted. Consequently, potential exists for a user to experience a high cardiovascular load with less fatigue or other muscular difficulties. Improvements over conventional approaches are achieved, among other things, through enhanced seat positioning relative to the crank axis of the bike. Other advantages will become apparent in the following discussion.
- A
recumbant bike 100 is shown inFIG. 1 as having abase portion 102 and aseat 104. Thebase portion 102 includespedals 105 mechanically coupled to a load mechanism (not shown) such as a generator, friction brake, flywheel fan, wheel contacting a weight bearing surface such as the ground or road, or other such load mechanism. Thepedals 105 are rotatable about acrank axis 106 through crank orshafts 107. Thebase portion 102 further includessupport legs 108 for resting thebike 100 on a floor, amonitor 110 for supplying exercise status to a user (not shown), and arail 112 for supporting theseat 104. - The seat has a
seat bottom 114 and aseatback 116. Theseat 104 further includes asupport portion 118 for mechanical engagement with therail 112 such that the position of the seat along therail 112 can be adjusted. Theseat 104 has atilt lever 120 to adjust atilt angle 123, shown inFIG. 2 , between theseat bottom 114 and therail 112 by releasing a locking mechanism (not shown) to allow pivoting of the seat about apivot 124. As an example of tilt adjustment of theseat 104, thetilt angle 123 as shown inFIG. 3 is larger than the tilt angle shown inFIG. 2 . - The
support portion 118 of theseat 104 further includes arail adjustment lever 127, shown inFIG. 4 , to adjust and secure seat position along therail 112. Examples of adjustment of the position of theseat 104 along therail 112 are shown inFIGS. 4-6 in which the seat is in a forward rail position (FIG. 4 ), a mid-rail position (FIG. 5 ), and a rear rail position (FIG. 6 ). To adjust rail postion of theseat 104, therail adjustment lever 127 is used to unlock thesupport portion 118 from fixed engagement with therail 112 to allow sliding of the seat longitudinally along the rail. Therail adjustment lever 127 is then used to lock thesupport portion 118 in fixed engagement with therail 112 once a desired longitudinal rail position of the seat has been achieved. Aseat reference location 126 is shown and will be used below to describe enhanced positioning of theseat 104 relative to thecrank axis 106. As depicted, theseat reference location 126 can be located where surface planes of theseat bottom 114 and theseatback 116 intersect. Theseat 104 is shown as being hard (i.e. nondeforming). For other implementations, theseat 104 can be softer so that theseat bottom 114 and/or theseatback 116 may be deformed somewhat when occupied by a user. The location of theseat reference location 126 should be adjusted for these softer seat implementations to take into account particular deformity caused to theseat bottom 114 and/or theseatback 116 when occupied. As depicted inFIG. 4 , thebike 100 rests on afloor 128. In this depiction, afloor angle 129 exists between therail 112 and thefloor 128. - A schematic depiction of a
representative human 130 is shown inFIG. 7 illustrating various portions of the human involved with use of thebike 100. The human 130 includes ahip joint 132, aknee joint 134, anankle joint 136, and a ball of thefoot 138. The human 130 further includes aback link 140 extending from thehip joint 132, athigh link 142 extending between the hip joint and theknee joint 134, alower leg link 144 extending between the knee joint and theankle joint 136, and afoot link 146 extending between the ankle joint and the ball of thefoot 138.Hip angle 147,knee angle 148 and ankle—foot angle 150 can be used to describe position of the human 130. Further depictions include afirst spacing 152 to approximate distance between thehip joint 132 as seated in theseat 104 and theseat bottom 114. Asecond spacing 154 approximates distance between thehip joint 132 as seated in theseat 104 and theseatback 116. - The human 130 is shown schematically in
FIG. 8 to include secondary muscle groups such aship flexor muscles 156 andhamstring muscles 158. The hip flexor muscles extend between theback link 140 and thethigh link 142 around a forward portion of thehip joint 132.Hamstring muscles 158 extend between thethigh link 142 and thelower leg link 144 around a rearward portion of theknee joint 134. - Primary muscle groups shown include
quadricep muscles 160 andgluteus muscles 162. Thequadricep muscles 160 extend between thethigh link 142 and thelower leg link 144 around a forward portion of theknee joint 134. Thegluteus muscles 162 extend between theback link 140 and thethigh link 142 around a rearward portion of thehip joint 132. - An anthropomorphic data table shown in
FIG. 9 contains commonly known measurements relevant to thebike 100 and used in describing various portions of the male and female population. In this table data is shown for 1% male, 50% male, 99% male, 1% female, 50% female, and 99% female, where 1% female is smallest and 99% male is largest. The nomenclature used for the anthropomorphic data is commonly known. For instance, the 1% female data means that all but 1% of the female population have measurements at least of that found in the anthropomorphic data table. Implementations of thebike 100 are directed toward use by a group including the 1% female and the 99% male and all those of size in between. - The
bike 100 incorporates the following understanding of how the human 130 interacts with the bike as depicted in schematic representations of the bike and the human shown inFIGS. 10-13 . During operation, the human 130 is seated in thebike 100 as shown inFIG. 10 to input power into the bike by pushing on thepedals 105. A power stroke portion of the crank cycle in which a substantial portion of power from the human is inputted to the bike is between an initial powerstroke leg position 170 and a final powerstroke leg position 172 in which both positions are defined byreference line 174 extending from the hip joint 132 through both positions of the pedal 105 as rotation occurs in aclockwise direction 176 as viewed inFIG. 10 . - The primary muscle groups used in pedaling are the
quadricep muscles 160 for extending the knee joint 134 in the direction ofarrow 178 inFIG. 11 and thegluteus muscles 162 for extending the hip joint 132 in the direction ofarrow 180. Both thequadricep muscles 160 and thegluteus muscles 162 provide a substantial amount of their contribution to power input during the power stroke portion of the crank cycle. Experienced riders are able to use other muscles as well to input additional amounts of power but to a smaller extent. - Forces exerted on the knee joint 134 can be quite harmful if excessive. It has been found that the final power
stroke leg position 172 with theknee angle 148, as shown inFIG. 11 , between 150° and 160° can reduce stress on the knee joint 134 while allowing for efficient power transfer from the human 130 to thebike 100 during the power stroke portion of the crank cycle. When theknee angle 148 exceeds approximately 160° at the final powerstroke leg position 172, thequadricep muscles 160 start losing their mechanical advantage for extending the knee joint 134 so must be aided by weaker knee stabilizer muscles. Consequently, this inefficient use of thequadricep muscles 160 can result in undesirable wear to theknee joint 134. - Another aspect of pedaling comfort and efficiency regards the
hip angle 147. It has been found that thegluteus muscles 162 can best be used to generate power to thebike 100 when thehip angle 147 is between 100°degree position 190 forleg position degree position 188 forleg position 186. This suggests that thegluteus muscles 162 would be better utilized if thehip angle 147 can be maintained between 100° and 120° during a substantial amount of the power stroke portion of the crank cycle (such as at least 75% or at least 85% of the power stroke portion of the crank cycle) as shown inFIG. 12 . - An initial part of the power stroke from the initial power
stroke leg position 170 to an intermediary powerstroke leg position 192, as shown inFIG. 13 , is least efficient in allowing power input from the human 130 to thebike 100. During this initial power stroke portion, either power is inputted almost exclusively by thequadricep muscles 160 or momentum simply furthers the rotation. After the intermediary powerstroke leg position 192 is reached, both thequadricep muscles 160 and thegluteus muscles 162 are used through the remainder of the power stroke portion of the crank cycle. - In summary, three factors described above can contribute to increase power input to the
bike 100 and/or cardiovascular load on the human 130 while reducing fatigue, injuries or other physical problems compared with conventional approaches. These factors are providing the desirable range of values for theknee angle 148 of between 150° and 160° at the final powerstroke leg position 172, increasing that portion of the power stroke that the desirable range of values is maintained for thehip angle 147 between 100° and 120°, and decreasing the extent of the initial power stroke portion that solely thequadricep muscles 160 and/or momentum are used to continue rotation. An additional fourth factor is that it is more beneficial for the human 130 to push lower on theseatback 116 toward the position of theseat bottom 114 rather than high up on the seatback. In this manner, reaction forces from pedaling are applied more directly into theseatback 116. If forces are applied to high on theseatback 116, the human 130 tends to be lifted out of theseat 104, which results in less efficient application of power from the human to thebike 100. - The
bike 100 addresses these four factors by providing a unique position for theseat 104 in relation with thecrank axis 106. In particular, this position for theseat 104 is described in terms of the positioning ofseat reference location 126 with respect to the crankaxis 106.FIG. 14 shows further detail regarding how implementations of thebike 100 position theseat reference location 126 with respect to the crankaxis 104. - The
bike 100 is constructed to position therail 112 such that anillustrative line 200 can extend from thecrank axis 106 at anangle 202 with respect to the rail. Furthermore, anillustrative line 204 can extend from thereference point 126 of theseat 104 and parallel to theillustrative line 200. When anillustrative line 206 extends perpendicularly from theillustrative line 200 at the position of thecrank axis 106 it perpendicularly intersects theillustrative line 204. The distance along theillustrative line 204 between thereference point 126 and theillustrative line 206 defines the length of theillustrative line 204. The distance between theillustrative line 200 and theillustrative line 204 along theillustrative line 206 defines the length of theillustrative line 206. - For implementations of the
bike 100 that address the four factors discussed above for the ranges of the human 130 from the 1% female to the 99% male according to the factors described in the table ofFIG. 9 , the length of theillustrative line 206 is between 4 inches and 6 inches for a particular range of lengths of theillustrative line 204 required to accommodate the human 130 in the 1% female to the 99% male group. Other implementations of thebike 100 may be targeted to other groups of the human 100 such that the length of theillustrative line 206 need only be maintained between 4 inches and 6 inches for a smaller range of lengths of theillustrative line 204 than the range of lengths for theillustrative line 204 required for the 1% female to 99% male group discussed above. Other dimensions shown inFIG. 14 include anangle 208 between theseat bottom 114 and the illustrative line 204 A depicted implementation of thebike 100 allowed positioning of theseat 104 along therail 112 to include accommodation for a 1% female, a 50% male, and a 99% male, as shown inFIG. 15 , to stay within the beneficial 4 to 6 inch range discussed above for the length of theillustrative line 206 while theangle 202 was at 3° and theangle 208 was at 5°. In the implementation of thebike 100 depicted by the data found inFIG. 15 , the length of theillustrative line 206 actually stayed within 0.5 inches of 5 inches for a length of theillustrative line 204 of 27.4 inches to 33.5 inches, which is some instances may offer an additional degree of benefit compared with the benefits conferred by staying within the broader range of 4 to 6 inches for the length of theillustrative line 206. - Other dimensions shown in
FIG. 14 include anillustrative line 210 extending from thehip joint 132 and parallel to theillustrative line 200, anangle 212 between theillustrative line 200 and thefloor 128. In some implementations of thebike 100, the value of theangle 212 can be 0° so that the value of theangle 129 is equal to the value of theangle 202. In other implementations of thebike 100, theangle 212 has a nonzero value. - Further dimensions illustrated in
FIG. 14 include anangle 214 between thethigh link 142 when at the final powerstroke leg position 172 and theillustrative line 210, and anangle 216 between the seat back 116 andseat bottom 114. For depicted implementations, theangle 214 had a value of approximately 173°, such as between 170° and 176°, which may contribute to some extent to the beneficial factors mentioned above. Theangle 216 for some implementations of thebike 100 has a value of 113° and is considered to offer some contribution to maintaining for thehip angle 147 between 100° and 120° over a larger portion of the power stroke. - As discussed above, the
tilt angle 123 of theseat 104 can be adjusted; consequently, theangle 208 can change. Implementations of theseat 100 are constructed to allow for predetermined ranges of theangle 208 while still maintaining the value of the length of theillustrative line 206 within the 4 to 6 inch range over the required range of lengths of theillustrative line 204 for the ranges of sizes for a particular group of thehumans 130. It has been found that providing adjustment of thetilt angle 123 allows for adjustment of how much thequadricep muscles 160 are used compared with how much thegluteus muscles 162 are used to input power to thebike 100. Adjustment of thetilt angle 123 can be done during exercise, for instance when one muscle group requires some relief compared with another muscle group. Thetilt angle 123 can be significantly increased to accommodate those of large girth or for others who desire such positioning of theseat 104 since thebike 100 is constructed to still maintain the desired range of length for theillustrative line 206. In some implementations thetilt angle 123 can be adjusted from 0° to 20° in five degree increments. - Regarding decreasing of the extent of the initial power stroke portion that solely the
quadricep muscles 160 and/or momentum are used to continue rotation, in one particular implementation a reduction of approximately 25% was observed from approximately 60°, for a conventional approach, to 45° for thebike 100. For a given amount of work to be inputted, applying work over a longer portion of the pedal stroke reduces muscle forces needed to be produced. Less muscle strain can have beneficial consequences such as a decreased likelihood that the legs fatigue before the cardiovascular system has been fully exercised and a decreased likelihood of injuries due to repetitive motion stresses. The initial power stroke portion that solely thequadricep muscles 160 and/or momentum are used to continue rotation occurs from the beginning of the power stroke through a pedal angle which causes thehip angle 147 to begin increasing. By decreasing the amount of the stroke that is done exclusively with the knee extensor (the quadriceps muscles 160) stress on the knee joint 134 is decreased. The longer force is supplied by thequadricep muscles 160 alone, the more knee strain results. If a person uses the momentum of their leg until the leg begins to involve thegluteus muscles 160, the person must provide all of the force to overcome frictional resistance plus enough to carry it through this inefficient coasting portion of the power stroke. By reducing this inefficient portion of the power stroke, the primary muscle groups are involved over a longer duration thereby decreasing the forces needed to exert the same work and thereby decreasing undesirable impulse forces exerted on the body resulting from applying undesirably large forces during a relatively short duration of the crank cycle. - An alternative version of the implementation of the
recumbent bike 100 is shown inFIGS. 16-18 . - From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, other implementations of the
bike 100 can have different configurations for therail 112 or other support mechanisms of theseat 104 with or without rails and still maintain the length of theillustrative line 206 within the desired range discussed above over the required range of lengths for theillustrative line 204 for a given group of thehumans 130. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by only those implementations described in detail herein.
Claims (25)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US11/364,500 US20060287167A1 (en) | 2005-02-28 | 2006-02-28 | Recumbent bike system and method |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US65730205P | 2005-02-28 | 2005-02-28 | |
US11/364,500 US20060287167A1 (en) | 2005-02-28 | 2006-02-28 | Recumbent bike system and method |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20060287167A1 true US20060287167A1 (en) | 2006-12-21 |
Family
ID=37574150
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US11/364,500 Abandoned US20060287167A1 (en) | 2005-02-28 | 2006-02-28 | Recumbent bike system and method |
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US (1) | US20060287167A1 (en) |
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US20080238161A1 (en) * | 2007-03-29 | 2008-10-02 | Huyck Benjamin N | Recumbent seat mechanism |
US20100099540A1 (en) * | 2006-12-05 | 2010-04-22 | Mary Ann Himmer | Physical therapy and exercise system |
CN103446708A (en) * | 2012-06-04 | 2013-12-18 | 力山工业股份有限公司 | Exercise apparatus |
USD826349S1 (en) * | 2017-02-08 | 2018-08-21 | Woodway Usa, Inc. | Recumbent cycle with provision for upper body exercise |
USD863466S1 (en) * | 2019-05-02 | 2019-10-15 | Total Gym Global Corp. | Adjustable stationary cycle |
US10946240B2 (en) | 2018-12-10 | 2021-03-16 | Tuffstuff Fitness International, Inc. | Glute machine |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: SILICON VALLEY BANK, CALIFORNIA Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:LEMOND FITNESS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:020372/0078 Effective date: 20071210 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: LEMOND FITNESS INC,WASHINGTON Free format text: RELEASE;ASSIGNOR:SILICON VALLEY BANK;REEL/FRAME:024151/0822 Effective date: 20100329 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: HOIST FITNESS SYSTEMS, INC., CALIFORNIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LEMOND FITNESS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:029471/0307 Effective date: 20120925 |